Ohio State University Hospital Program

Program Identity & Fit

Ohio State's ophthalmology residency is an academic, university-based program housed within the William H. Havener Eye Institute, offering subspecialty faculty coverage across every division (cornea, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastics, pediatrics, retina) at all clinic sites and drawing on a tertiary/quaternary referral base that includes ocular oncology and regional trauma. Residents hold primary surgical and management responsibility rather than deferring to fellows, with subspecialty consultation available immediately on-site, and the pediatric ophthalmology experience through Nationwide Children's Hospital is explicitly described as rivaling dedicated fellowships. Research is embedded in all three residency years, supported by a publication monetary incentive, NIH/NEI and industry-sponsored retina trials, and institutional Tier-1 NIH-funded research infrastructure, though the program frames outcomes broadly as comprehensive clinical practice, fellowship, or academic pursuits rather than mandating a single path. The six co-located fellowships (cornea, surgical retina, glaucoma) and structured board-exam preparation (BCSC texts, question banks, Wills Eye course funding) signal a program that values residents capable of assuming early surgical autonomy while sustaining scholarly output.